Nature & Happiness
Happiness Encyclopedia XV from the Happiness PhD Project...
Maybe the simplest advice I could give for health and happiness is just go outside.
We’ll cover the science in a moment. But consider this – it’s a Sunday afternoon and you’re out on a beautiful fall hike with some friends or family by the lake. You take a seat by the edge of the water and take in the sun, breeze, and blue sky. How are you feeling at that moment?
There are exceptions to the rule. But odds are you feel pretty darn good, or at the very least, alright. But alright in the real sense, as in “all is right.”
I often wonder, is our increasing separation from nature the problem – so to speak?
Perhaps a lack of connection to nature is responsible, at least in part, for our present-day issues with chronic illness and mental health issues.
In Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature, Micah Mortali argues that a disconnect from nature is a disconnect from our nature. It may be that much of this sort of psychological discomfort is born out of a desire to get out of the world of abstraction and mental over-stimulation and into the embodied experience of being interwoven with the natural world.
He uses terms like inter-species loneliness, ecological boredom, and life force deficit to describe the impact of the lost connection with nature. In my words, it’s the “SeaWorld Effect.” There are many stories of the highly intelligent orca whale captured to live out its life in a small, artificial pool forced to entertain crowds. Most of these stories go on with the whales beginning to exhibit psychosis, depression, and their fins becoming so atrophied that it flops over to one side. In some cases, the whales resort to ramming themselves headlong into the walls of the enclosure or lashing out violently against their trainers.
Now, at this point, you may be thinking – “depressed whales, ecological boredom, and – did he just say life force?”
I’m not going to argue that this last paragraph is a totally scientific presentation (although there’s research to come). But it is worth considering the old Yogi Berra saying – “you can observe a lot by watching.”
We are not separate from nature; we come from nature. We are nature. For 99.5% of our species’ history, we lived embedded in the natural world. We actively participated in the community of species in our ecosystems, we were constantly engaged in tasks that were tangible, and easy to get absorbed in: hunting, trapping, foraging (as opposed to staring at spreadsheets). And the natural world was the driving force of our daily life, social life, and spiritual life.
So, like the proverbial “fish out of water” – isn’t it quite possible that this disconnect can lead to what we can only refer to as “nature deficit disorder” with symptoms such as longing, loneliness, boredom, angst, and feeling like we’ve lost touch with the sort of life force?
In Voice of the Earth: An Exploration of Ecopsychology Theodore Roszak makes this same case. Roszak writes – “What the modern cultural environment has required of us is an enormous extroversion of attention and energy for the purpose of reshaping the Earth into a global industrial economy. For two centuries we have been subordinating the planet and our deepest personal needs to that project. This great act of collective alienation, I have suggested, lies at the root of both the environmental crisis and individual neurosis. In some way, at some point, a change of direction, a therapeutic turning inward, had to take place within a culture as maniacally driven as ours has been by the need to achieve and conquer.”
Suffice to say there’s an argument to be made for looking to the natural world when it comes to understanding what is not going so well and what could make us healthier. That’s where the research comes in.
There is an emerging arrow of research suggesting that nature can heal and sustain when it comes to well-being.
Forest bathing, also known as Shinrin-yoku or forest therapy, has been extensively examined in scientific literature for its role in enhancing both physical and psychological health. A meta-analysis conducted in 2017, which reviewed 64 papers, found that forest-based interventions benefit cardiovascular health, bolster the immune system, and improve mental health by alleviating stress, depression, anxiety, and negative emotions. (1)
A 2022 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that forest therapy produced a significant reduction in symptoms of depression. (2) Another meta-analysis from the same year reported large and statistically significant improvements in mental health, particularly for anxiety and depression outcomes. (3)
Additionally, a 2019 meta-analysis focusing on cortisol – a biomarker of stress – found that forest bathing significantly lowered salivary cortisol levels compared to urban control settings, suggesting a robust short-term stress reduction effect. (4) A further review of urban residents, pooling 21 studies on blood pressure and 13 on cortisol, confirmed that forest therapy significantly reduces both blood pressure and stress, though results showed considerable variability. (5)
Taken together, the evidence suggests that nature immersion, particularly through forest-based activities, can act as a non-pharmacological intervention to support well-being. These interventions yield measurable psychological benefits like improved mood and reduced anxiety and depression as well as physiological gains like lowered stress hormones and enhanced cardiovascular function.
That said, researchers emphasize that differences in intervention type, duration, participant characteristics, and environmental context contribute to differences in outcomes. This underscores the need for more standardized, rigorously designed trials. But the existing body of research strongly supports nature as a reliable pathway to improved happiness and health.
For a deeper look into the research literature, visit: anft.earth/research/.
Application: Practices for Connecting with Nature
Again, drawing from Micah Mortali’s work in Rewilding, these are 10 steps to incorporate the natural world into your mindfulness, spiritual, or health practice.
If you live in a rural area, consider a short daily practice. If your location or schedule does not permit, start with a couple hours per week in a green space.
Intimacy – Get to know the land through first-hand experience. Simply spending time in a natural environment consistently can deepen your connection to nature.
Centering – Try to slow down, limit distractions, and give yourself permission to be without having to do anything.
Breathing – Practice some form of conscious breathing to reconnect with the present. The simplest practice is “breathing in I, know I am breathing in; breathing out, I know I am breathing out.”
Gratitude – Adopt an attitude of thankfulness for this moment, this experience, and this opportunity to be at home in nature.
Embodiment – Consider some intentional movements or warm ups to get out of your head (thoughts) and into your body and senses. You can gently circle your neck followed by your shoulders, arms, torso twists, hip circles, knee circles, then rolling your ankles. Smile.
“Fox Walk” – Try mindful walking. Imagine creeping through the forest like a mountain lion or fox. Feel into each and every step. Notice your body and surroundings as you go. Try it barefoot if able.
Sensory Expansion – There is an Eastern term called “samyama” which is a psychological state of absorption. It feels as though you have sort of dissolved into the present moment. Tap into the sights, sounds, smells, and sensations around you.
Sit Spot – Find a spot to sit down on the ground, on a log, on a bench, etc., and just sit as you savor the nature around you.
Bush Craft – As you go deeper into nature-related practices consider adopting a craft or hobby like woodworking, building shelters, fire making, etc.
Fire Circle – Get outdoors in this intentional style with a group of family or friends. Sit in a circle and enjoy one another’s company.
In summary, get outside. Bring intention to your time in nature – to rest, recover, and reconnect with your experience of the natural world. You’ll be happy you did.
Song, C., Ikei, H., & Miyazaki, Y. (2016). Physiological effects of nature therapy: A review of the research in Japan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(8), 781.
Hansen, M. M., Jones, R., & Tocchini, K. (2017). Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy: A state-of-the-art review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(8), 851.
Kotera, Y., Richardson, M., & Sheffield, D. (2022). Effects of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) and nature therapy on mental health: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 934441.
Antonelli, M., Barbieri, G., & Donelli, D. (2019). Effects of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) on levels of cortisol as a stress biomarker: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Biometeorology, 63(8), 1117–1134.
Song, Y., et al. (2022). The effects of forest therapy on blood pressure and stress hormone levels in urban residents: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9203.
